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I've had two of these lovely Phalaenopsis orchids for just under a year. I rescued one off of the dieing plant shelf at Lows because it didn't look like it was in too bad of shape, and the other one I received a month after I managed to get the first one to get a few little buds going, as a surprise from my mother. They were flowering up until about two months ago, then they lost their flowers. I thought nothing of it though, because one has a new spike at the base, before this happened, and they both were gaining new leaves.

Now, I have One orchid that is sick, (This is the one that was from the dieing plant shelf to begin with so I think it was weaker from the start. Or more delicate.) The other seems to be starting to get sick.

Both orchids, now, have roots on the tops that have either dried, or have begun to dry out. The sicker of the two has three leaves left, after loosing the first two this past few weeks. I fear it is probably too late to save this one but I'd like to try and with any luck, I'll at least have the second one.

Reading different parts of this site, I believe I need to change the potting medium, and find a southern facing window. they're in an east facing window at the moment but there is a house next door that blocks some of the light it could get. I also believe I need to take the orchids out and trim off the death roots, and place them in new potting medium. However I don't really know what I could change in my care regiment, that would help much, other than setting the water I intend to use for them, out longer than I did before. I recently moved to the city and the water is much different.

I'm very green when it come to growing orchids, and not the green thumb type of green. So any help, tips or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I'm already finding lots of help on this site by reading threads.

If your bark has moss starting to rot discard and pot up with fresh orchid bark.

Also take each stem that has flowered right down to where you see green and to node below where it last had a flower.

Then waterand feed as normal and keep in acooler place than it has jsut been for amonth then bring back into your orchid area where it bloomed.

Good luck Spotted.

Try misting more, watering less, and don't feed for at least a month after the flowers have faded. I actually don't feed chemical fertilizers but mine flower every year anyway.

I use filtered water, mist almost every morning until dripping wet. I occasionally dump used coffee grounds in my indoor watering can, fill with filtered water and water with the result, allowing the UCG to pour out with the water. During the summer after and while the lowest temperature stays above 60ºF, they stay out in the Shade Garden (which is in full shade/dappled shade almost all day) and gets watered when it rains or when it hasn't rained for a while and I water the garden.

I wouldn't recommend this with a sick plant, but with a healthy plant, if you leave the flower stalk alone after flowering, they sometimes grow a plantlet on the stalk that will start growing roots of its own. You can then bend the stalk (without breaking it off) and let the baby grow in a new pot for a while, then cut it off.